THE CHALLENGES OF NIGHT TIME BEACH PHOTOGRAPHY (and how to overcome them) (2024)

We brought a long red fabric to add another styling element to the scene

Summertime and beach photoshoots come hand in hand, and they are our favourite location to shoot outside the studio. In an attempt to push our boundaries this season, we decided to try to capture some portraits at the beach while it was pitch black.

Here are some of the challenges we had to overcome and some insights into this beautiful on location photoshoot.

CHALLENGE #1: AVOIDING THE PAPARAZZI LOOK

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a harsh flash light aesthetic, but for this particular photoshoot we wanted our subject to look like a goddess. One of the ways we tried to convey this was through the use of extremely soft light. But how can one generate that kind of light on location?

SOLUTION: BIG MODIFIERS

Since what we were after was soft, angelic light on camera flash was out of the question. This meant a lot more equipment had to be carried, but it was worth it. We brought stands for my speed lights and wireless flash combined with a big umbrella with diffusion and a strip box. I placed the big umbrella in front of the model and the strip box behind her, helping her not to get blended into the dark background.

CHALLENGE #2: THE WIND

We chose Congwong Beach in the south of Sydney as our location. Despite being an extremely hot summer afternoon, as soon as the sun left an incredibly strong wind arose. This not only added an extra challenge for the model who had to battle the cold posing in a bikini, but put our equipment at risk of being blown into the ocean.

SOLUTION: SANDBAGS, ASSISTANTS AND A BIG JACKET

Our first priority was of course making sure that our model Angie was comfortable. Despite having a different wardrobe option, she decided that she was okay to pose with the bikini. In order to avoid her being unnecessarily cold, we made sure that she stayed in a warm jacket while we were testing the light and that she got back to it as soon as the photos were finished. If you wanted to go an extra mile, you could bring some hot tea in a thermos for the models to enjoy when the photoshoot is over, which I do whenever I shoot at the beach during winter.

Having anticipated the technical challenges of this photoshoot, I had already requested two assistants who had agreed to volunteer for the day. One of their main tasks was holding down both of the stands the speed lights were on. I also brought sandbags to help secure the speed lights, but I doubt these would have been effective without my two amazing assistants making sure the wind didn't blow everything away.

CHALLENGE #3: CAMERAS DON'T FOCUS IN THE DARK

It is impossible to carry on a portrait session if your camera can not focus on the subject's face. You can try to give manual focus a go but trust me, in this scenario you are already juggling way too many balls and it will be incredibly embarrassing for all your images to be out of focus.

SOLUTION: CONTINIOUS LIGHT

Having had trouble focusing on my subjects when my studio lights are off, I knew doing it in complete darkness was going to be impossible. That is why I brought a small flashlight with me and gave one of my assistants the annoying job of pointing it at the model's face. It was not a lot of fun for him or for the model, but it allowed to focus on her face without any problems.

There were many things that could've gone wrong during this photoshoot, but good preparation and assistance allowed me to achieve results I am extremely happy with. If you wish to star in your own nigh time photoshoot keep in mind that this concept can be translated to any location you can imagine, from the forest to a desolated street in the city. On the other hand, if you're a photographer like myself, hope you now feel a bit more prepared to go out into the night and endure this challenge.